SLA delays WB official access to school in Thellippazhai HSZ

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2008, 15:10 GMT]Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops deployed at the entrance to the High Security Zone (HSZ) in Thellippazhai initially refused to allow the World Bank (WB) resident representative for Sri Lanka and Education Directors to enter Thellippazhai Union College located in the HSZ Tuesday. They were let in only after the World Bank representative said that he may have to refer the matter to the Secretary of Defence, sources in Jaffna said. The team of officials, after attending a meeting Tuesday on alleged malpractices in the free meal scheme of World Bank at the Jaffna Secretariat, were on their way to inspect the site of the scheme in Union College.

The WB representative in Colombo who had arrived at SLA Palaali airport Tuesday morning attended the said meeting at Jaffna Secretariat, presided by Jaffna Government Agent, along with WB Jaffna officials.

Directors of Education in Jaffna peninsula also attended this meeting.

Union College is the centre where many Education development projects in Jaffna peninsula are located and the SLA restrictions create delays in carrying out the projects, the principal of the school and education authorities said.